Amongst the vendors and professionals you will be hiring for your wedding is the wedding photographer. He or she will be in charge of making a record of the wedding, from photos to videos. Whilst looking around for one, you might have heard of the very many packages that are offered for weddings, but even amongst them, there is one certain package that draws more attention than any other: the pre-wedding shoot.

The pre-wedding shoot, also called the pre wedding package, refers to a particular tradition where a special photography session of the bride and groom (and nowadays, even the bridesmaids and groomsmen) is convened. It is usually held months before the wedding – sometimes even half a year prior to the wedding. It allows for the taking of high-quality photos without time constraints (truly a luxury during the wedding day itself), as well as for stocking up on photos that can be printed on invitations, thank you cards and other wedding mementoes. The pre-wedding shoot is purely optional, but nowadays, the relative advantages of hosting one have almost made it a staple of any wedding plan.

In case you are planning your own wedding, you will want to factor in some time for pre wedding photography. Most of the time, the photographer you will be hiring will be more than glad to advise you on what you will be needing, when and how. In general, all pre-wedding shoots feature a number of dresses – usually two outfits at least – that revolve around a concept or theme. You will be picking a location to go along with your theme. It is depending on this theme and clothing choices that the timeframe for when to host the shoot will often be decided – hosting it as early as possible will lift one burden from your shoulders, however.

Whilst you may be wondering if you really need this shoot before your wedding – especially if you are facing budget constraints – know that it has many advantages. For example, a pre-wedding shoot can tell a story of the two lovers in a way a wedding could possibly never tell: most hotels and wedding reception halls are limited to hospitable locations, but the personality of the bride and the groom might be such that their passions could lie in more extreme locations. A pre-wedding shoot can allow you to make wedding memories in such locations – for example, on a mountain hike even. The lack of time limit also gives the photographer free rein – he or she has enough time to properly stage and take many photos as possible, giving you only the very best they can offer.